Kaitlin Shuvera wants to challenge you

After a career in improv just wasn’t materializing, the newly local Shuvera switched to writing her own material.

Kaitlin Shuvera has lived in Halifax for less than a year, but after (regularly) performing at three open mics a week, she's ready to take on the Ha!ifax ComedyFest.

Shuvera got into stand-up comedy because improv comedy wasn't an option in Kelowna, where she used to live. A few friends said they wanted to start a troupe, but it didn't materialize. "I kept showing up at this bar, hoping to do improv, but it never happened," says Shuvera. "So I just decided to get on stage and tell some jokes instead."

Turns out, she found a new creative outlet in standup comedy. "It's kind of addicting in the first sense because of the laughter," says the soft-spoken Shuvera. Being able to share her thoughts on stage is another benefit. "There's a microphone on stage, so people can hear me, which is nice," she says.

Although new to the local comedy crew, Shuvera's found the scene to be a good mix of camaraderie and competition. "Sometimes there are feuds, bickering and things, but I think that's all part of a group atmosphere. We're all kind of competitive, but it helps us push each other, we're all supportive underneath it," she says.

But at a lot of shows Shuvera performs at, she's the only woman on the bill. On stage at Gus', she delivers terse one-liners poking fun at language and cliches, providing a breath of fresh air from the masturbation jokes the (otherwise) all-male lineup delivers. "I always felt like I fit in, but you can't deny that you're a different gender," says Shuvera. "There's that weird thing where people say 'Oh, women aren't funny.' I see that as a challenge, I say maybe we can change people's ideas of what makes someone funny."